Opening Statements of Committee Members

Opening Statement of Senator Michael B. Enzi (R-WY)

10:00 a.m., Thursday, June 24, 1999

I would like to thank the witnesses on the panels for coming before us today to comment on the discussion draft of the
Export Administration Act (EAA). This hearing is especially relevant because we will hear from those who observe or
participate in the export control system from the outside.

Everyone agrees that the reauthorization of the EAA is of utmost importance. The Cox Committee and the Inspectors
General of the departments of Commerce, State, Defense and Energy strongly recommend the reauthorization. Only
with the legal structure in place can the U.S. exercise a legitimate leadership role to strengthen the multilateral export
control regimes that seek to curb dangerous dual-use items.

In crafting a rewrite of the EAA, it is necessary to balance the conflicting interest of promoting exports and protecting
our national security interest. As the Cox Committee recommends, the draft bill provides a framework that focuses
more resources on the critical technology exports and fewer resources on those items that have a marginal benefit to
our national security. The draft also recognizes that an item widely available from foreign sources or considered to
have mass market status is already out of the box. These items should be decontrolled unless there is an overriding and
exceptionally compelling national security interest at stake.

This draft is a work in progress. The Chairman has postponed the markup until after the July recess; however, we need
your constructive recommendations immediately so we can find a way to accommodate your concerns. The draft bill
will move forward and we will meet again with all of the stakeholders to address the concerns you might have. I look
forward to the testimony of the witnesses and to hearing their unique insights.